V. I.

Lenin

Interview with M. Nakahira, Correspondent of the Japanese Newspaper Osaka Asahi [1]

He did not wait for our question, but started to speak of
the relations between Japan and Russia-to the effect that it is regrettable
that Japan does not seem willing to adopt an attitude of willingness to
meet the Soviet Government’s attitude of peace. The Soviet Government
stands for peace, and therefore it recognises the neutral zone government. [2]

He then asked: “Is there a powerful landowning class in Japan? Does
the Japanese farmer own land freely? Do the Japanese people live on food
produced in their own country, or do they import much food from foreign
countries?” He asked many other questions, showing his deep interest in
living conditions in Japan.

Mr. Lenin next asked whether Japanese parents beat their children, and
said he had read of this in a book. “Tell me whether it is true or not,”
said he, “it is a very interesting subject.” I answered that there may be
exceptions, but as a rule parents do not beat their children in Japan. On
hearing my answer he expressed satisfaction and said that the policy of the
Soviet Government is to abolish this condition. After that we asked about
the revolution and subsequent developments.

In giving a résumé of Russian revolutionary history, he said:
“Before the revolution, the working and peasant classes of Russia were
extremely oppressed-in fact, their oppression was without parallel in past
history. As a result of this most severe oppression, the revolutionary
spirit of the poorer class gradually increased until it broke out in the
revolution. But the organising capacity of the lower strata of Russia is
comparatively weak and the degree of education lower than in any other
countries. In spite of all this they could not be suppressed. But now,
after two and a half years of experience, the Russian working and peasant
masses have obtained a great deal of political and social discipline. The
experience of this two and a half years can truly be compared with the
development of several centuries.”

At this point we asked why the Soviet Republic, in spite of its having
repudiated the national debts of czarism, had promised to give Esthonia
vast amounts of gold, when concluding peace. Smiling, Mr. Lenin said:
“Esthonia has shown her good will toward the Soviet Government and
therefore the Soviet Government has promised to pay her this
gold. Moreover,” he continued, “to deal with the propertied class is
really a very difficult matter. The propertied class cares for nothing but
its own material, interests. For instance, look at America. America
proposed a peace treaty with Soviet Russia. When we examined the treaty, we
could not accept. it because it was based on exploitation. So we rejected
it. Of course we do not consider ourselves incapable. The Allied nations,
rejecting recognition, attempt to interfere with Russia. There is reason to
think that if the intervention of the Allies should continue, it will be
profitable to the Boisheviki.

“ All in all, considering the prospects of Russia’s industries, the
situation is promising. If our electrical programme, is attained entire
industries can be electrified. The creative capacity of communism will be
increased and will exert the greatest influence in solving these problems,
and the development will be equal to that of several decades.”